Real and perceived danger in police officer assisted suicide (original) (raw)
Related papers
Law Enforcement-Assisted Suicide
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2000
This study describes historical, personality, behavioral, and situational factors of law enforcement-assisted suicides, which are also known as suicide-by-cop (SbC) subjects. These factors were then used to compare differences between SbC subjects who successfully forced officers to shoot them and those subjects who were unsuccessful. SbC subjects appear to share several risk factors with other suicide victims. This study detected some differences in the characteristics of the SbC subjects who were successful in forcing the officers to intervene with lethal force and those who were not. Substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, stressful life events, length of residency in the location of the incident, and homicidal conversation during the SbC incident did have weak relationships with the outcome of the incident.
Suicide by Cop Among Officer-Involved Shooting Cases
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2009
The frequency and characteristics of suicide by cop cases (SBC) among a large (n = 707) nonrandom sample of North American officer-involved shootings (OIS) were investigated. ''Suicide by cop'' is when a subject engages in behavior which poses an apparent risk of serious injury or death, with the intent to precipitate the use of deadly force by law enforcement against the subject. Thirty-six percent of the OIS in this sample were found to be SBC with high interrater agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93) for category classification. SBC cases were more likely to result in the death or injury of the subjects than regular OIS cases. Most SBC cases were spontaneous, but had clear verbal and behavioral indicators that occurred prior to, and during the event. Findings confirm the trend detected in earlier research that there was a growing incidence of SBC among OIS. SBC individuals had a high likelihood of possessing a weapon (80%), which was a firearm 60% of the time. Half of those with a firearm discharged it at the police during the encounter. Nineteen percent simulated weapon possession to accomplish their suicidal intent. Other findings highlight the histories and commonalities in this high risk group.
Police suicide: prevalence, risk, and protective factors
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 2013
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore risk and protective factors associated with suicidal ideation among law enforcement personnel. Design/methodology/approach-The methodology employed is based on the "Best Evidence Synthesis" approach, whereby researchers systematically examine and integrate the most empirically sound available research on the topic under investigation. Findings-Results of studies showed that the interaction of multiple risk factors had a cumulative effect in increasing the risk for suicidal ideation. In total, five prominent aspects of policing were associated with risk for suicidal ideation: organizational stress; critical incident trauma; shift work; relationship problems; and alcohol use and abuse. Studies also indicated that protective factors and preventative measures had stress-buffering effects which decreased the impact of police stressors. Research limitations/implications-The model is limited because few studies have employed methodologically-sound research designs to test risk and protective factors related to police suicide. This conceptual overview may facilitate theory development and provide directions for future research. Practical implications-Law enforcement agencies which implement programs that assist police personnel in developing active coping styles, identify and access available social support systems, as well as utilize community-based services may decrease risk for suicidal ideation. This review provides practical applications for law enforcement training, education, and program development. Originality/value-The paper represents the most recent review of risk and protective factors related to suicidal ideation among police personnel. This integration of research provides police practitioners with an evidence-based ecological framework that can be applied universally in police management settings.
Suicide by Cop Among Female Subjects in Officer-Involved Shooting Cases
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2011
An analysis of suicide by cop (SBC) among female subjects in a large sample (n = 707) of officer-involved shootings (OIS) is reported. Women represented 3% of the total sample (n = 21) and 5% (n = 12) of the 256 SBC cases. Therefore, 57% of the women (n = 12) were classified as SBC, and 81% of the women (n = 17) behaviorally evidenced some suicidal motivation. The results underscore that when a female subject becomes involved in a situation leading to an OIS, there is a very high likelihood that she is motivated to be intentionally killed. She is almost guaranteed to have a diagnosed mental disorder, has been prescribed psychiatric medications, and is abusing a substance at the time, most likely alcohol. Nevertheless, she also poses a serious risk of injury to both police officers and civilians during the encounter and will possess a firearm half the time. The wish for suicide is often precipitated by serious relationship issues. Comparisons are made to the male subjects in our previous study.
International Journal of the Sociology of Law, 2004
There is increasing evidence that some individuals actively seek to bring about their own deaths by provoking armed police officers to shoot them. The current paper examines 22 police shooting incidents, nine fatal, between 1998 and 2001, to assess the likelihood of suicidal motivation in each of these cases. All 22 individuals shot were male, 18 were white, three black and one Asian and ages ranged from 18 to 51. Around half of the shootings examined have some evidence indicating a suicidal motive in those shot, with further indications of irrational behaviour in a number of the other cases. This has clear implications for the choice of police strategy in responding to such incidents and an imperative to develop 'less lethal' options to minimise the risk to such vulnerable populations. r (D. Best). functions of either insufficient or excessive integration or regulation of the individual in society. describes ''Suicide'' as perhaps the greatest piece of sociological research ever written and Durkheim's (1897/1951) belief that suicide rates can be related to social contexts remains a key contribution. The more recent interpretivist approach to analysing suicide dictates that rates are socially constructed through varying definitions and data collection procedures.
Police suicide in small departments: a comparative analysis
International journal of emergency mental health, 2012
The majority of police suicide research has focused on larger police departments. Very little research has been done within small departments. The present study compared suicide rates between small and larger police departments. Two Hundred ninty-eight departments were drawn from the U.S. Public Safety Officer Benefits database totaling 119,624 officers. Annual suicide rates were calculated per 100,000 for each of four category (by size of department) and p-values from Chi-square tests were employed to assess differences in rates across categories. The annual suicide rate varied significantly across departments. Smaller police departments had a significantly higher suicide rate than large departments. Possible reasons include lack of availability for mental health assistance, increased workload and danger and community visibility.
Law Enforcement Suicide : Current Knowledge and Future Directions
Is suicide among law enforcement professionals a problem? Various sources report 300 completed police suicides annually.1 Other sources report that a law enforcement officer (LEO) is more likely to die by suicide than by homicide.2 However, these numbers and statistics are extremely difficult to support. Although the exact number of LEOs who take their own lives every year might not be available, it is clear that even a single incident is devastating. Each peace officer who completes suicide leaves behind family, partners, supervisors, friends, and organizations that are highly impacted by the officer's death. The authors believe that suicide among law enforcement is a significant problem.
Suicide in Police Work: Exploring Potential Contributing Influences
American Journal of Criminal Justice, 2009
Police officers are considered at increased risk for suicide. The objective of this study was to explore potential influences on suicide ideation among 105 randomly selected men and women urban police officers. Depression, gender, and marital status appeared to be most strongly associated with police suicidal ideation. Depressive symptoms were higher among women than men officers (12.5 percent vs. 6.2 percent). For each standard deviation increase in depressive symptoms, the prevalence ratio (PR) of suicide ideation increased 73 percent in women (PR=1.73, 95% CI=1.32-2.27) and 67 percent in men (PR=1.67, 95% CI=1.21-2.30). The association between depression and ideation was stronger among unmarried women officers (PR=4.43; 95% CI=2.19 -8.91) than married women officers (PR=1.39, 95% CI=1.09 -1.79). While depression has previously been associated with suicide, such results are unusual in a healthy working population such as the police.